This is the twenty-seventh episode of the Blind Tiger Podcast, recorded April 29th, 2014. In this episode Mike, Jesse, and I gathered in our studio to celebrate an entire year of episodes. That’s right we have managed to make it back to where we began. Our humblest of beginnings was in mid April of 2013 and we are excited to still be going strong at the end of April 2014.

Make sure that you listen to our first ever episode in conjunction with this episode. We dared to challenge Jesse’s taste buds by harkening back to our first ever beer vs beer to see what Jesse’s thoughts were after a year of drinking a disparate collection of fine craft beer. Would he still hold the same opinions of each beer? Would he hold to the same victory in single beer combat? Listen to find out.

Don’t miss our segment on our first Jolly Pumpkin review. It was an amazing beer to try from an amazing brewery. Don’t miss our discussion on the merits and dangers of alcohol in powdered form and the potentially awesome combinations such a concoction might create when properly mixed.

And we end the episode with our thoughts about the last year; the best beers we had, the most fun segments, the best slummin it episodes.

Given that we had survived one full successful year we decided on a suitable opening question: “If you could plan the ultimate first anniversary party what would that be?”

Show Notes:

Beer News:

Bulls Head Hosting Cask Ale Fest this Weekend

Columbia Kettleworks Finalizes Menu and Opening Date

Powered Alcohol On ATB Fence

Sierra Nevada Changes Bottling Date Away from Julian Method

New Belgium East Coast Facility Gets Underway

Florida Senate Decidedly Passes Divisive “Compromise” Bill

Rare Beer Snob: Alive and Dead Addition:

Few breweries have a reputation for excellence like Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Founded in 2004 by Ron Jefferies in Dexter, Michigan this microbrewery produces unpasteurized and unfiltered beers with a rustic country vibe. Jolly Pumpkin ages their beers in wine barrels to grab that brettanomyces sour flavor in an attempt to replicate beers brewed in America before industrialization.

We are fortunate to try an extremely unusual saison from the catalogue of Jolly Pumpkin called Los Vivos y Los Muertos. This saison is quite possible one of the most interesting beers I’ve heard of let alone tasted. The bottle trumpets this beer as a saison made from lime and pumpkin and boasts a sour flavor to mix with that combination. The beer is described as, “Even the first whiff of the aroma suggests this is more than a simple rustic saison: there are deep stone-fruit notes (of peach and plum), the vigorous citrus of a lime wedge, all mingled within an expansive Brettiness and yeast character: light tropical fruits, pepper, sourdough bread, a hint of cheese. That dry pepper seems to just float atop an integrated core. This is nicely dry, despite any sweetness suggested by the above descriptors.” Since it is only 4.2% ABV I figured it would be a great way to celebrate making it a year.

It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since we started this endeavor. While I remember in vivid detail those first timid steps into the world of podcasting. I recall sweltering in a hot summer months trying to keep cool with cold beer. I recall the sudden shift to frigid temperatures and wanting to crack the heat to a warm 90 degrees. I remember the good, the bad, and the downright disgusting. I thought we should take a moment to reminisce about the past years and what we thought about it.